Blocker means for coin controlled mechanisms



April 25, 1944. H. NEER ETAL BLOCKER MEANS FOR COIN CONTROLLED MECHANISM Original Filed Aug. 6, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 25, 1944. 1; N ER ETAL 2,347,429.

BLOCKER MEANS FOR COIN CONTROLLED MECHANISM Original Filed Aug. 6, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 25, 1944 BLOCKER MEANS FOR COIN CONTROLLED MECHANISMS Harry L. Neer, Beech Grove, and Clifford H. Wasson, Indianapolis, Ind., and Raymond L. Ncer, Jacksonville, Fla., ass'ignors to Nik-O-Lok Com pany, Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Original application August 6, 1941, Serial No. 405,584. Divided and this application March 25, 1943, Serial No. 480,445

12 Claims.

This is a division of our co-pending application Serial Number 405,584.

The present invention relates to a coin controlled mechanism; and, while the disclosed mechanism, or parts thereof, may be utilized in other connections, the invention will be particularly described in connection with coin controlled locks for doors, or the like.

The field to which the present invention pertains is by no means new. For many years, coin controlled locks have been in use in public toilets, lavatories, bath houses, and the like; and those locks have been broadly, quite successful. However, the locks which have been in use heretofore have been subject to defects of various types; and it is the primary object of the present invention to provide, in mechanisms of the character here under discussion, a refinement to overcome one of those defects.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the forms illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific constructions illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the lock of the present invention in an intermediate stage of assembly thereof;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the complete lock mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the lock mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation seen from the rightposition by a spring 3! connected at one end to a plate 32 suitably secured to the assembly plate,

and at its opposite end to a cotter pin 33 secured in the latch bar 26.

The latch bar 26 carries an ear 10 in a plane between the front surface of the assembly plate and the front surface of a top catch block ll secured to the assembly plate, said block being suitably cut away, in the manner most clearly shown in Fig. 4, for the accommodation of said ear T0. Threadedly mounted in the block H is a screw 12, most clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. In the projected position of the latch bar 26, the ear 70 is located to the right of the inner end 13 (see Fig. 3) of the screw 12. In the retracted position of the latch bar, the ear H1 is positioned to the left of said inner end 13 of the screw. The part-spherical head 14 of the screw 12 is formed with a polygonal socket 15 for the reception of a suitably shaped wrench; and said screw may be rotated, by operation of such wrench, to project its end 13 into the path of the ear Ill. If the screw is so projected while the latch bar 26 is in the position of Fig. 3, withdrawal of the latch by operation of either the inner handle or the outer handle is rendered impossible. If, however, the latch bar is'held in retracted position while the screw 12 is projected into the path of the ear 10, the latch bar will thereby be retained in withdrawn position, so that the door will be freely operable.

Frequently, whena ballroom or banquet hall is rented for a private party, it is desirable to render pay toilet booths operable without the deposit of the usual coin; and the mechanism just above described is provided for that purpose. We

have also provided mechanism whereby, when the latch is so retained in withdrawn position, or when the latch is so blocked against retraction, the deposit of a coin by a person desiring to use the toilet and who has failed to note that the latch is blocked, is automatically prevented. One arm 16 of a lever l7, pivotally mounted upon the block H by a screw 18, is positioned in the path of the part-spherical head 14 of the screw 12. As the screw is moved inwardly, the head 14 operates upon the lever arm 16 to swing said lever in a counter clockwise direction, thereby moving the depending arm l9 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, to close the coin slot in a manner which will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Preferably, the screw 12 is formed with'a fiat side with which cooperates a ball 8E! received in a bore in the block ll intersecting the threaded seat of the screw 12, and urged toward said screw by a spring 8| backed up by a screw 82.

The latch bar 26 is adapted normally to be retracted by a coin-receiving arm Mil operatively mounted upon an oscillatable plug 83 adapted to be actuated by a handle its journalled in a housing I15 shown in Fig. 5. A masking plate I32 is formed with a perforation |3l The plate I32 is formed with a coin-receiving slot I33 which, when the parts are in the positions of Fig. 2, registers with a coin-receiving slot I85 formed in the housing 115 to permit a coin to be inserted therethrough into operative of the plate I32, and the legends I34 and I35 are both unreadable through the window I86.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a coin-controlled mechanism, an element to be operated, a coin receiver movable to operate said element, a housing for said mechanism formed with a, coin-receiving slot,

I means associated with said receiver for mask- "ing said slot, means operable to block operation relation with the arm IN to permit the latter N to engage the flange G9 on the latch bar to retract the latter.

The casing H5 is further formed with a window I88 with which alternatively register the legends I34 and I on the plate I32, depending upon the position of the coin receiver. It will readily be seen that, when the parts are in any positions other than the positions of Fig. 2, the slot I33 in the plate I32 is out of registry with the casing slot I 85, whereby said casing slot is masked by a portion of the plate I32 and the insertion of a coin into the mechanism is prevented.

The casing is further formed with a small aperture I8I which, in the assembled condition of the organization, registers with the socket I5 of the screw I2, whereby a polygonal wrench may be inserted to operate the screw I2 without removing the casing I15.

If, for any reason, it is desired to lock the enclosure to prevent access thereto, a polygonal Wrench may be inserted through the perforation I81 into the socket I5 in the screw head I4, whereby the screw may be rotated to project the end I3 thereof into the path of the ear 11!, whereby retraction of the latch bar will be positively prevented.

In order to prevent a patron from dropping a coin into the slot I85 while the lock is so disabled, we have provided the lever 11 and its associated parts. As has been explained hereinabove, the flared head I4 will act upon the arm 16 of the lever II, during projection of the screw, to swing said lever in a counter clockwise direction, whereby the arm I9 of said lever will act to swing the arm IIII of the coin receiver in a clockwise direction. Through the action of these parts, the slot I33 is shifted out of coin-accepting registry with the slot I85 very promptly upon initiation of projecting movement of the screw I2, and long before that screw comes into obstructing relation with the ear III. In the final position of the screw I2, the arm IllI assumes a position such that the two legends I34 and I35 on the plate I32 are both unreadable through the window I86.

If, for any reason, it should become desirable to leave the mechanism in such condition that the door may be opened without actuation of the lock, the attendant will insert a pass key in the lock tumbler I88 to withdraw the latch bar.-

of said element, and means automatically operated by operation of said blocking means for shifting said masking means into masking position.

2. In a coin-controlled mechanism, an element to be operated, a coin receiver movable to operate said element, a housing for said mecha- -nism'formed with a coin-receiving slot, means shiftable into and out of masking relation with said slot, means shiftable into and out of position to block movement of said element, and means automatically operable by movement of said blocking means into blocking position to move said masking means into masking position.

3. In a coin-controlled mechanism, an element to be operated, a coin receiver movable to operate said element, a housing for said mechanism formed with a coin-receiving slot. means associated with said element and movable therewith between two extreme positions, a member located at a point between said extreme positions and selectively shiftable into and out of the path of said means, means shiftable into and out of masking relation with said slot, and means, automatically operable by movement of said member into the path of said first-men tioned means, to shift said last-mentioned mea into masking position.

4. In a coin-controlled mechanism, an element to be operated, a coin receiver movable to operate said element, a housing for said mechanism formed with a coin-receiving slot, means associated with said element and movable therewith between two extreme positions, a member located at a point between said extreme positions and selectively shiftable into and out of the path of said means, projection of said member in one position of said element blocking movement of said element in one direction, and projection of said member in the other position of said element blocking movement of said element in the opposite direction, means shiftable into and out of masking relation with said slot, and means automatically operable by movement of said member into the path of said first-mentioned means, to shift said last-mentioned means,

into masking position.

5. In a coin-controlled mechanism, an ele-"' associated with said element and movable there- I with between two extreme positions, a member located at a point between said extreme positions and selectively shiftable into and out'of the path of said means, projection of said member into the path of said means while said element is in either of its extreme positions blocking movement of said element toward its other extreme position, means shiftable into andout of masking relation with said slot, and means, automatically operable by movement of said member into the path of said first-mentioned means, to shift said last-mentioned means into masking position.

6. In a coin-controlled mechanism, 'an element to be operated, a coin receiver movable to operate said element, a housing for said mechanism formed with a coin-receiving slot, means associated with said element and movable therewith between two extreme positions, a screw threadedly mounted adjacent said element and shiftable axially into and out of the path of said means at a point between said two extreme positions thereof, means shiftable into and out of masking relation with said slot, a lever pivotally mounted adjacent said screw and having an arm operatively associated with said masking means, and cooperating means associated with said screw and said lever for swinging said lever, upon movement of said screw into the path of said first-named means, to shift said masking means into masking position.

7. In a coin-controlled mechanism, an element to be operated, a coin receiver movable to operate said element, a housing for said mechanism formed with a coin-receiving slot, means associated with said element and movable therewith between two extreme positions, a screw threadedly mounted adjacent said element and shiftable axially into and out of the path of said means at a point between said two extreme positions thereof, said screw being provided with a cam surface, means shiftable into and out of masking relation with said slot, and a lever pivotally mounted adjacent said screw and having an arm operatively associated with said masking means and an arm operatively associated with said cam surface, whereby movement of said screw into the path of said firstnamed means swings said lever to shift said masking means into masking position.

8. In a coin-controlled mechanism, an element to be operated, a coin receiver movable to operate said element, a housing for said mechanism formed with a coin-receiving slot, means associated with said element and movable therewith between two extreme positions, a screw threadedly mounted adjacent said element and shiftable axially into and out of the path of said means at a point between said two extreme positions thereof, said screw having a flared head, means shiftable into and out of masking relation with said slot, and a lever pivotally mounted adjacent said screw and having an arm operatively associated with said masking means and an arm operatively associated with said flared screw head, whereby movement of said screw into the path of said first-named means swings said lever to shift said masking means into maskin position.

9. In a coin-controlled mechanism, an element to be operated, a coin receiver movable to operate said element, a housing for said mechanism formed with a coin-receiving slot, means associated with said element and movable therewith between two extreme positions, a screw threadedly mounted adjacent said element and shiftable axially into and out of the path of said means at a point between said two extreme positions thereof, said screw being provided with a cam surface, means shiftable into and out of masking relation with said slot, and means operatively associated with said cam surface and with said masking means and operated, by movement of said screw into the path of said first-named means, to shift said masking means into masking position.

10. In a coin-controlled mechanism, an element to be operated, a coin receiver movable to operate said element, a housing for said mechanism formed with a coin-receiving slot, means associated with said receiver for masking said slot, means operable to block operation of said element, means automatically operable by operation of said blocking means for shifting said masking means into masking position, said housing being formed with an aperture smaller than said blocking means, and a removable manipulating element insertable through said aperture and engageable with said blocking means to manipulate said blocking means.

11. In a coin-controlled mechanism, an element to be operated, a coin receiver movable to operate said element, a housing for said mechanism formed with a coin-receiving slot, means associated with said element and movable therewith between two extreme positions, a screw threadedly mounted adjacent said element and shiftable axially into and out of the path of said means at a point between said two extreme positions thereof, said screw having a flared head, means shiftable into and out of masking relation with said slot, a lever pivotally mounted adjacent said screw and operatively associated with said masking means and with said flared screw head for shifting said masking means, upon movement of said screw into blocking relation with said first-named means, into masking position, said housing being formed with an aperture smaller than said screw head, and a removable manipulating element insertable through said aperture and engageable with said screw head to manipulate said screw.

12. In a coin-controlled mechanism, an element to be operated, a coin receiver movable to operate said element, a housing for said mechanism formed with a coin-receiving slot, means associated with said element and movable therewith between two extreme positions, a screw threadedly mounted adjacent said element and shiftable axially into and out of the path of said means at a point between said two extreme positions thereof, said screw having a flared head formed in its outer surface with a polygonal socket, means shiftable into and out of masking relation with said slot, a lever pivotally mounted adjacent said screw and operatively associated with said masking means and with said flared screw head for shifting said masking means, upon movement of said screw into blocking relation with said first-named means, into masking position, said housing being formed with an aperture smaller than said screw head, and a removable key including a shaft insertable through said aperture and terminating in a polygonal head cooperatively engageable in said socket to manipulate said screw.

HARRY L. NEER. CLIFFORD H. WASSON.

RAYMOND L. NEER. 

